The Falcons are ushering in a new era under Raheem Morris, and it begins with a massive swing at the quarterback position, as they signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million.
The veteran signal caller will give Atlanta its first stable player at the position since Matt Ryan, which is ironic. The day that the Falcons found a worthwhile successor is the same day that he hinted towards retirement.
Sounds like an official Matt Ryan retirement is on the way.. pic.twitter.com/L1LURM07tu
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) March 11, 2024
Sometimes, the NFL retires players before they’re ready, and that seemingly happened to Matt Ryan before he was unfortunately able to compete one last time for a Super Bowl.
When he retires, he’ll be the greatest Falcons quarterback of all time. He is the club’s all-time leading passer in attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, passer rating, and 300-yard games.
Ryan is also a four-time Pro-Bowler and league MVP (2016-17) while also leading the NFL in passer rating (2016) and completion percentage (2012). The Boston College product also has Rookie of the Year (2008) and Offensive Player of the Year (2016) awards on his mantle.
According to Pro Football Reference, Ryan ranks 7th all-time in career passing yards (62,792), sits at 5th all-time in passes completed with 5,551, and is 9th all-time in passing touchdowns with a career mark of 381.
He exemplified consistency at the position, throwing for over 4,000 yards in 10 of his 14 seasons in Atlanta, as well as an NFL record 64 straight games with at least 200 yards passing.
Matt Ryan won’t be a stranger, though. In the booth for CBS Sports, the greatest Falcons quarterback will be calling games for the foreseeable future.
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Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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